The despair of Lelouch and the distress of Anya
by Vicks111
Summary: In between battles and festivals, Lelouch finds just how much work the council president is responsible for. Anya finds herself in a pinch that she can't handle. Sometimes things are simply what they seem, no hidden meaning. Spoilers up to R2 13 GinoxAnya


**Disclaimer: Characters belong to Sunrise.**

_I'm on a roll! And I won't say more because I may jinx it. Vacations do wonders for one's muse. This one is actually a challenge on Lj _

_Set after R2 episode 12, but before episode 13._

_Definitions:_

_Kaichou: president or chairman; in this case, the first one._

_-denka: is affixed to the end of a non-sovereign royal title, with a meaning similar to "Royal Highness" or "Majesty"_

_-kyou: lord_

* * *

_**The despair of Lelouch-kaichou and the distress of Anya**_

**By Vicks111**

Unlike popular belief, Ashford Academy was in total chaos. Students walked about, heading dutifully and dully to their classes. Teachers were swamped with work; reports, exams and essays due to check, and just not enough time in between classes. If anyone didn't know any better, they would say that Ashford Academy was indeed a model of an academy.

Wrong. Chaotically wrong.

There hadn't been a festival or celebration in…ok, let me count, five and I carry the two and…what? It can't be! The student council had _not_ made an activity in over three weeks! Madness! Heresy!!

The student morale was at its lowest and the teachers were complaining over and _over _to Principal Ashford. Absurd, really, but he found himself calling over the vice-president of the student council to his office to…fix the _alleged_ problem. The boy, though he considered him brilliant, was not proactive. It was always his granddaughter the one who came forth the council (as expected), but even then, he could notice the lack of interest in the said activity of the boy. Then again, he was starting to believe that only Milly worked_ at all_ in the council.

After a lengthy speech on responsibility, Principal Ashford ordered Lelouch to take action and get the student council's act together. Taking his leave, Lelouch arrived wearily at the council's office and dropped on a chair heavily. He hoped for some tranquility, but if he ever had his way through life, he would have destroyed Britannia already. Though, if he really would have thought things through, he should have gone some _other _place for peace and tranquility. Really.

In less than 2 minutes, the Knight of Three erupted into the room laughing louder than he had ever heard him. Disinterested, the Knight of Six followed him with Arthur in her hands and Rivalz by her side, also laughing, but moderately. He quickly sobered up when he saw the expression on Lelouch's face.

"That had to be the funniest thing you've done, Anya. Not the craziest, but definitely the funniest," Gino commented, sitting on the table while talking. A brow trembled. Absolute disrespect.

"And the look on that guy's face! Priceless!", fisted hands shook. Lack of manners whatsoever. "Ehem," Lelouch interrupted trying to get Weinberg's attention. "Oh Lelouch-sempai, hi there!"

Gino waved his hand, leaning down the table as if it were a bed and supporting his head with his right hand, "you just missed one of Anya's greatest moments," he spoke, though he failed to acknowledge the signs in the boy's countenance that indicated his discomfort, "Arthur ran off with Anya's phone.."

"Weinberg-kyou, I do not care – " Lelouch interjected.

"…into the men's WC. You know that will never stop her from getting her phone back. And then there was this guy inside named Rai…"

"Umm Gino, I think you should – " Rivalz tried to stop him, but once Gino got winded up, he never stopped.

"…who really wasn't all that surprised by her entrance. What really surprised him was Arthur, who appeared to have dropped the phone, and actually jumped, biting off his – "

"Gino, he doesn't want to hear your babbling," the Knight of Six interjected, bored with his retelling abilities by now.

At that, he actually shut up. Anya let go of Arthur, who quickly moved to his little high house. Gino sat up, pouting at her, "Bah Anya, he ought to be interested as the Student Council president; the guy ended up at the _infirmary!"_

Though he probably didn't mean to, Lelouch suddenly laughed at that. It must have been days since Rivalz had heard him laugh like that, at least not since Milly had graduated.

Lelouch tried to stifle down his laugh, really, but it actually felt good to laugh after so long. "So…wrong…that title…" he gasped in between laughs. Rivalz understood, then, and joined him. Gino stared from one to the other, not really getting the joke, and Anya seemed mildly interested in their joined laughter while recording it on video.

Gino promptly sat back, crossing his legs and staring blankly, "I don't get it." Anya looked up and shrugged, "Lelouch finds his title as president rather appalling." Lelouch had the decency to stop laughing at the knight's remark, "Anya-sama you misunderstand me, it's simply not as easy as it seems to fill in the shoes of the last president."

The Knight of Six looked up from her phone at him and cocked her head slightly to the side, a silent question on her part. Gino arched his eyebrow at that, only staring to see what she would do. Lelouch, on the other hand, just sat in the chair at the end of the table, unaware that he had sat on Milly's chair, and of the stares both the knights were giving him.

Rivalz did notice, though, and moved to sit on the next chair next to him. Everything was too quiet, he decided, and spoke suddenly, "Well, _kaichou, _the student council reporting for duty."

"I was just thinking about our current situation, and it seems we'll need to recruit new students to help us out. We are now very short of hands."

"But with both Alstreim-kyou and Weinberg-kyou we have just enough people." Rivalz looked around puzzled, surely he was doing the math right.

"I appreciate the Knights help," Lelouch turned to them again, a tired smile on his face, "but I do not wish for them to have an actual responsibility, tying them down here at Ashford. I would rather they just help us whenever they can."

Anya just stared, her cellphone completely forgotten in her hand. Gino frowned at that. He was about to speak, but Anya beat him to it, "I think I can handle the responsibilities, Lelouch."

"Oh," the boy looked nonplussed at the reply, "well, then I guess I'll figure out something especially for you, Anya-sama." A sort of look passed in between them, and Gino didn't like it. Not one bit.

"Oi, what about me?"he asked, flailing his arms as he wasn't visible enough from where he was sitting on top of the table. Both the president and her turned to him and frowned, the first one annoyed and the second one probably remembering his messy disposition at doing any sort of paperwork.

Gino shrugged visibly at them, they both looked so alike at that moment. "You are not good at writing things, so that leaves you out of the available positions," Anya interjected.

"Hey! So are you, if I recall correctly"

"Perhaps," she answered, but didn't elaborate. "Weinberg-kyou, just because I can't offer you an official position, doesn't mean you can't be as involved as Anya-sama. I'm making Rivalz the vice-president, since I need Shirley to remain as the secretary. As for the other two positions, fiscal or treasurer, Anya-sama will have the option to decide what fits better for her," Lelouch motioned at her, and for the first time since she remembered, Anya didn't know what to say. Her head told her that in situations like these, she should say thank you. But then again, she wasn't really sure why she should be thanking him for.

Gino pouted, aware that no matter what he said, he wouldn't be able to convince the president with Anya interjecting against him every time he tried. "Rivalz, I would like it if you could make me a list of available candidates for the council."

"Ahh, come on Lelouch, a list? Why don't we pick someone right now?" Rivalz searched his brain trying to think of someone quickly. His friend's lists usually required many aspects, and had to be very thorough. That's why he had picked himself the place as the treasurer. He did not envy Shirley and her job at all.

But since she had called in sick, he was the de facto secretary for the time being, "How about Miya? I'm pretty sure she has no other clubs to attend to."

Lelouch winced at the thought, hands folded under his chin, "Let me rephrase that: I would like it if you could make me a list of likeable candidates for the council."

"You don't like Miya?"

"Her voice annoys me," Lelouch shrugged as he remembered, "besides, I fear she won't have a nice working disposition." He then made a somewhat disgruntled face, and his friend had no other option but to laugh at that. "Fine then, only pretty girls with nice voice that Lelouch can stand," Rivalz sighed despairingly, "that will be an awfully hard list to do."

Lelouch shrugged at that, "if they are smart, then I don't really mind how well they look." Rivalz then gave him a Look very pointedly, "fine, they have to be pleasing to look at, ok?" The president added, and his friend was glad he saw things his way.

Rivalz stood then, "well if that is all for today, I am off, need to get some new parts for the motorcycle. The carburator is busted," he sighed as he was exiting the room, and Lelouch noted he had been doing that a lot, lately, "I should get me a better one, but I just love _Clara_ to pieces!"

Gino, who had been silent all the while, much to Lelouch's surprise, suddenly perked up, "who does he love?"

"The motorcycle," Anya's deadpan tone replied, but she actually rolled her eyes at him (which she didn't do often, accustomed to him as she was). Gino grinned as he got off the table (finally!), "oh, I thought I recognized the name, that's all."

Now very uncomfortable with being alone with the two knights, Lelouch decided that it was not in his best interests to stay. After all, he could be doing something more productive, like…well, he had that book (in the Ikagura!)…oh, but he also could catch up with the paperwork for the Black Knights (which was being handled, mostly, by the most adept secretary-ninja-maid Japan has ever known, and boy was that a deal that the Ashford's had practically given to him in a silver platter, and he realized by now that he was mentally rambling, and he might as well do that some other place where Anya's stare wasn't boring down on him.)

Meanwhile, Anya was looking at him, and she knew that if she concentrated, she could almost make up that image that came to her head. She couldn't quite reach the memory, and she wondered idly whether it was important or not. If Gino would stop poking her ribcage, then she was sure she could figure it out, but then again she did like it when he did that, not that she had ever admitted it to his face. Now that Gino was making his presence _felt, _placing his chin on the top of her head and hugging her from behind (and probably kneeling to be able to do that), his perfume of sandalwood and lime (and myrrh? Was he trying a new cream, perhaps?) filling her senses, she could barely remember what it was she was doing prior to the last mental paragraph. And dryly, she noted, she was rambling on and counting non-existant paragraphs in her head, and what was that Gino was doing to her ear…?

And of course, Gino, noticing that Lelouch was lost in his own thoughts, and Anya was looking at him _intently, _then decided that if she ought to look at someone like that, then it ought to be him. He poked at her ribs, and his 'Oi! Anya!' went unanswered, and worst, unheard. He frowned, then, and walked behind her. Kneeling to her height, he hugged her and even then she would not turn to him. Moving to her earlobe, he started to nibble at it. That ought to make her say something, at least!

A low "Oh!" escaped Anya's lips, and that seemed to bring her back to the present. It also did the trick for Lelouch, who startled, got up from his chair. One should have expected something of the sort of 'what are you doing to her?' or 'would you mind not doing that in front of me?' from the president, but he just gaped, and fumed, as he strode out of the students' council meeting room. Lelouch made a mental note to retribute this embarrassment sometime on Tristan; he also decided that he didn't like Gino Weinberg.

By now, Gino had lifted Anya in his arms, and was standing straight, thank you very much. He thought about doing a bow, his performance had indeed managed to beat his opponent. It really wasn't that Gino was a competitive man, or that he was keeping score, really, but his tally summed up 'Gino-2, Lelouch-0'; one for making the sempai uncomfortable, and the other for his show of strength. Yes, Lelouch strength, or lack thereof, was _that_ legendary at Ashford.

Arms pinned at her side, by the hug, Anya looked at Gino and simply asked, "why?"

"Hmm, shouldn't I be asking that?"

Anya's disbelieving brow went up, and Gino elaborated, "Why were you looking at the sempai like that?" She cocked her head to the side, "Lelouch?"

"And you are even calling him by his name! Since when do you call people by their given names?" Anya could think of Suzaku, Nunnally, that guy that always brought the cinnamon rolls to the official meetings at the Governor's Palace – "Anya!!"

"You do the same"

"I don't recall – "

"Milly-kaichou"

"Hey, that's not fair – " and he was interrupted, by her nonetheless, "You started this game, Gino." He looked away bashfully, and for a few seconds they stayed in awkward silence.

"You are jealous," she stated, puzzled at his reaction, "of Lelouch."

"Of course – "

"You don't do that, you don't get jealous."

"Because I haven't had reason to – " he tried to defend himself. But just like him, once Anya got a winded up with a strike of assertiveness, it was hard to stop her.

_"Suzaku, Gilbert, Kanon, Touya…"_

"Who?"

"The cinnamon rolls guy," she reminded him.

"Oh yeah, did you ask the name of the bakery he works for, we should get some of those rolls!"

"Don't do that, don't avoid the subject," she chided him, "and it's called Duklyon."

Gino leaned his forehead to hers, looking at her eyes, "those other guys are not better than me. I am smarter than Suzaku, no offense, and Guildford takes his role as 'megane' character way too seriously. Plus, he only needs a tag on his collar that says 'belongs to Cornelia-denka'."

"But Lamperouge," he sighed, "everyone knows how smart he is, plus we could face off at a model runway and I'd be in trouble. That guy has the moves down to a tee. See where I am going with this, or do you need more examples?"

"I woudn't mind more."

"Anya!!"

"Give me reasons, Gino."

"The way you look at him, the way you say his name, the way he calls you 'Anya' but calls me 'lord', the way you both look like you can understand each other with just one look, the way he hates my guts - "

"That last one is all you, don't blame me." But her eyes showed surprise, for once, "I'm sorry, ok?"

He looked at her as if she had just managed to land an uppercut on him, "That's not what I want, and you should know that. Tell me why he is important, why he is special enough to be noticed."

Why did he ask her that? Why did he like making questions he knew fine well she did not have an answer? Some things cannot be explained, not even with all the words there are. Some things simply are. Yet, that was not something he would understand or accept.

"Lelouch is Lelouch" she said, looking at him intently, "and Lelouch is not Gino."

The Knight of Three knew fine well he was not getting the answer he was looking for, and that should have told him something. But he didn't want to think about it, and he didn't want to think about her other problems, at least not right now. He had promised himself to make her happy, to make her forget about everything and everyone else, because remembering would make her sad. She just didn't understand that herself.

"Interesting observation," his tone was teasing now, and the relief could be seen in her eyes, "so does that mean you are going to say it?"

She harrumphed but said nothing. His grin was now present again, "say it, or I won't let you go," he said in a sing sang voice, as he lowered to whisper in her ear, "and I will tease you until you do"

She sucked in breath as he started kissing her neck slowly, just below her chin. She remained silent, though, he wouldn't get the satisfaction if hearing her say such a thing. He continued that for a few minutes, and she remained motionless in his arms, "Come on, Anya, say it, you know I love you"

He always did that, always tricked her like that! "I'm your girlfriend" she gasped, as he moved to nibble at her ear again, "and…?"

"I'll be sure to tell you the day I leave you for someone else."

"You won't leave me, though, but it's nice to hear I'll be notified" he smiled as he left her neck and moved up to catch her lips. She didn't let him, though, and moved her head backwards away from him, "even if I leave you for the cinnamon rolls guy?"

"Even if Schneizel-denka comes to you riding a panda and offers you to be his queen, after he gets to the throne of the empire."

"Now you are mocking me."

"In fact, I am the most serious. I want you to always tell me what you think and what you feel. Always, even if it pains me."

"Idiot," she moved to catch his lips, the kiss tender and sweet, and nothing more than a mere peck. "See, that wasn't so hard," Gino let her down on her feet.

Anya grabbed his hand, walking swiftly to the door. He stumbled forward as she walked swiftly, his long legs bending to walk at the odd level he now had because of her manhandling him. "Oi! Anya, we have P.E. class in," taking out his pocket watch with his free hand, he barely managed to not drop the thing to the floor, "5 minutes! The gym is not that way!!"

"Tease" she mumbled, and opened a random door, pushing him inside. "Wow, if I didn't know you better, I'd say you already knew where the nearest closet was." Gino grinned, but was not one to lose time idly.

"Shut up"

"Pervert, you were planning to take advantage of me!"

For once, Anya herself grinned as he leaned to kiss her.

oOoOoOo

_Today, at Ashford, we met with what was left of the student council. I'll help out, and Gino won't. He is an idiot._

_He asked me just what Lelouch is to me. I didn't think he would, thought he would just brush it off. He scared me for a moment there._

_Lelouch is…Lelouch is my…_

_I don't know what he is. I can dare to say that he is a memory, but we all know what I think of those. _

_Memories are fickle things. If I cannot trust my own memories, then how can I expect him to trust me? Gino cannot understand just what it means not being able to trust anything. Maybe he hasn't realized it yet, I trust no one. Not even him. _

_That's harsh. _

_Those words may be the truth for me, but truth, again, is unreliable. His truth is different than mine, and therein lies the problem. His truth may be that bad memories are best forgotten. However, those forgotten memories made me what I am. Even if they are bad, they are a part of me. I need to know myself. _

_I cannot say those words he wants to hear until I do. _

_And he keeps doing that…making more memories. He tries and tries to make more memories to replace the old ones, but it doesn't work like that. _

_At least, I can rely on him for that. Even if I forget…I can rely on him to make me remember. He'll make sure he becomes someone my heart cannot forget. _

She was about to save her recent post of her blog as she walked by a grand mirror at the Governor's Palace. She didn't know why, but something caught her eye, and she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Raising her phone to the mirror, she took a picture of her reflection on it. She saved the picture and walked off to the urgent meeting they had been called for with a scowl on her small face, not without typing the last words to her entry.

_He'll pay for that hickey. _

Gino only laughed as he saw her face later, it had been a good day for tallies after all, 'Gino-1, Memories-0'.

And somewhere at Ashford Academy, Villeta rambled on about how little people actually respected her authority as a teacher.

* * *

_at least one person ought to get the panda joke!_


End file.
